Good news, everyone! Today, we have started the push on Steam Greenlight for Star Command: Galaxies. Feel free to check it out and vote at http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... =510191761. If enough people vote, favorite, and follow the game, we will be on Steam on September 17th. I can't tell you how excited I am to type out those words and add that link.

I'm sure there are more than a few questions, and I'd like to keep this forum post open as sort of an "Ask Me Anything" post involving Galaxies. Any questions you might have involving Galaxies, Greenlight, or anything along those lines...ask them here and as long as there's not a major reason I can't answer it, I'll happily do so and will add the answers to this post as a quick reference as well.

When will Galaxies be available on Steam?
If all goes well with Greenlight, we will be available on Steam for purchase on September 17th.

I purchased Galaxies already. Do I need to buy it again to have it on Steam?
Nope. Everyone that currently has a copy of Galaxies will get a Steam key.

How will updates work from here on out?
Once we are on Steam, all of our updates will come in via Steam. That means that you will no longer need to worry about deleting the old version before installing the new one, Steam will handle that for you. We'll give them the update, and then it will come to you when you open the Steam Client.

What does this mean for Alpha 5?
September 17th will be our defacto Alpha 5 launch.

What if I don't have Steam?
Currently, the plan is to continue offering the game on sale via starcommandgalaxies.com and continue our current method of alpha updates for those that do not have Steam. That being said, I would on a personal note recommend getting Steam, and not just for Galaxies. The account is free to set up, the updates will definitely be quicker and more seamless for you (due to how Steam's updating process works), and we do plan to have a lot of neat items that tie into Steam, such as in-game achievements. Steam also allows you to upload your saved games to their cloud, which is nice if something were to unfortunately happen to your computer. Plus, it's a super handy place to find and buy great games from all publishers, indie and AAA alike.

Does that mean that Alpha 5 isn't coming?
Not at all. The release we plan to push on September 17th will be Alpha 5.

What is a Steam Key and how will I get it?
A Steam Key is a product key usable on Steam. It's a mid-to-long size key that you put into Steam, which allows you to keep the game forever in your Steam account. If you've ever used iTunes or Google Play or something like that, it works in much the same way. As for how you will get it, my understanding is that we will be sending everyone who has purchased a copy of Galaxies a key via the current mailing list on SendOwl. If this changes at all, I'll let you know.

Does this mean that you've completed the game? Or are you just going to release the Alpha on Steam?
Not just yet. We have a lot of features that are fairly close to done, but still need a strong amount of polish. The plan is to continue the Alpha/Beta cycle as we have been (only more frequent updates), but using Steam as the main distribution platform.

Will SCIENCE still be happening?
Absolutely! SCIENCE is still very much in the plans and being used everyday within our office. We still plan to release SCIENCE to the world once it doesn't have so many "duct tape" fixes and crashes.

So I'll be able to get my steam key by September 17? Because the actual download/update it's kinda weird.
Current plan is to send out the Steam Keys at some point on September 17th provided we make it through Greenlight by then.

What happens if I bought the game already, but I don't get the email for the steam key?
If this happens, send me a PM with the email address you used to purchase the game and I will send you a key via PM.

I have a few questions.
1. What if I don't have steam?
2. Does that mean that alpha five isn't coming?
3. What is a steam key and how will I get it?
4. Does this mean that you've completed the game? Or are you just going to release the alpha on steam?
5. Will science still be happening?

ginger528 wrote:I have a few questions.
1. What if I don't have steam?

Currently, the plan is to continue offering the game on sale via starcommandgalaxies.com and continue our current method of alpha updates for those that do not have Steam. That being said, I would on a personal note recommend getting Steam, and not just for Galaxies. The account is free to set up, the updates will definitely be quicker and more seamless for you (due to how Steam's updating process works), and we do plan to have a lot of neat items that tie into Steam, such as in-game achievements. Steam also allows you to upload your saved games to their cloud, which is nice if something were to unfortunately happen to your computer. Plus, it's a super handy place to find and buy great games from all publishers, indie and AAA alike.

ginger528 wrote:2. Does that mean that alpha five isn't coming?

Not at all. The release we plan to push on September 17th will be Alpha 5.

ginger528 wrote:3. What is a steam key and how will I get it?

A Steam Key is a product key usable on Steam. It's a mid-to-long size key that you put into Steam, which allows you to keep the game forever in your Steam account. If you've ever used iTunes or Google Play or something like that, it works in much the same way. As for how you will get it, my understanding is that we will be sending everyone who has purchased a copy of Galaxies a key via the current mailing list on SendOwl. If this changes at all, I'll let you know.

ginger528 wrote:4. Does this mean that you've completed the game? Or are you just going to release the alpha on steam?

Not just yet. We have a lot of features that are fairly close to done, but still need a strong amount of polish. The plan is to continue the Alpha/Beta cycle as we have been (only more frequent updates), but using Steam as the main distribution platform.

ginger528 wrote:5. Will science still be happening?

Absolutely! SCIENCE is still very much in the plans and being used everyday within our office. We still plan to release SCIENCE to the world once it doesn't have so many "duct tape" fixes and crashes.

Excellent! I was just about to make a post about tumbleweeds and silence when I found this.

Looking forward to your presence on Steam!

All I know is this Lo-Pan character comes out of nowhere...while his buddies are flying around on wires cuttin' everybody to shreds and he just stands there, waiting for me to drive my truck straight through him with light coming out of his mouth?